Saint-Gobain deserves its place in history. Saint-Gobain was created in 1665 as part of the plan devised by Louis XIV and Colbert to restore the French economy. Entrusted to private entrepreneurs, the company broke with the factory tradition by organizing glass production on an industrial basis. In 1666, Louis XIV went to watch the first pieces of Venetian-style mirror glass being blown in Paris, inaugurating a long tradition of official visits. In 1774, Louis XV made the same trip from Versailles to the village of Saint-Gobain, and Louis XVI visited the workshops in Faubourg St. Antoine during historic events in that section of Paris during the time of the Revolution.

Over the years, many other official visits have followed. Thanks to the invention of glassware casting (1688), Saint-Gobain established a near-monopoly in the 17th century Europe and ousted Venice, which was then the leader in this sector. In the 19th century, an environment of newfound freedom and open international competition prompted Saint-Gobain to cross French borders and organize glass production on a European basis. Units were established in Germany (1857), Italy (1889) and Spain (1904), the historic basis of Saint-Gobain’s global presence today. Saint-Gobain succeeded in penetrating the closed, perilous circle of those who gambled and played with power. It identified with the realities of history and with challenges that were as important as they were discreet. Strongly established in flat glass production, Saint-Gobain began looking toward other activities at the beginning of the 20th century. The company entered the paper making business in the 1920’s, the insulation business in the 1930’s, production of optical crystals and scintillation detectors throughout the period from the 1940's through the 1960’s. In 1970 Saint-Gobain merged with Pont-a-Mousson, the world leader in cast iron pipes. Saint-Gobain continues to reinforce its global position within the construction market. Saint-Gobain has developed products and services that utilize advanced materials including: glass, cast iron, ceramics, abrasives, and plastics. The two main products that built the company’s reputation – glass and iron pipe – have found their place in our daily lives. The consistent drop in the unit production cost of glass over the last 150 years is a clear example of a product evolving from a luxury item to an article of mass consumption. The conntesse de Fiesque who, according to Saint-Simon, parted with some of her land to buy a single small mirror, seems a far-removed figure from today’s world.

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